Top 10 Best Co-op Games for the PC

The PC as a games platform has been a foundation for multiplayer gameplay, and was the first to feature online co-op long before Xbox Live made it onto the scene. Listed here are some of the best co-op games for PC.

The console platforms might be more well known for their versatility and support for local multiplayer gameplay, by which I mean you can play games with your friends, roommates or spouse with just the aid of a few additional controllers.

The PC on the other hand is a much more solitary experience, generally speaking. But this little fact doesn't exclude the PC from offering equally enjoyable online multiplayer experiences. You might not be able to yell at the guy sitting next to you, but there's really nothing stopping you from doing it over Mumble or Ventrilo... not that you'd want to be known as a loudmouth on the internet, but I digress.

Titan Quest

If you manage to get past the hassle of getting your router to work with the GameSpy Arcade functionality of "Titan Quest," or happen to have a local LAN set up, then you're in for a major treat.

With only a small group of friends (or even just one other), Titan Quest offers some of the best action RPG experiences since Diablo II was released a decade ago. You'll journey through the lands of Greece, Egypt and all the way across the Orient with your group in tow, each player with a totally different set of skills, thanks to the diversity offered by the game's multi-classing character system.

"Titan Quest" is fun to play alone, but there's only so much killing you can do with the same set of skills before it starts to feel like a grind. With more than one player, the game feels a lot more like an actual adventure than a grind-heavy clickfest.

Killing Floor

In "Killing Floor" players must fend off increasingly difficult waves of zombies as they make their way to shopkeepers across the map to refill their supplies and upgrade their equipment. It's a fairly simple concept to grasp and it has no learning curve whatsoever, making it a very casual experience. Simply put, it's easy to play and it's a whole lot of fun, especially if you don't have the time to spend an hour or two in a game that requires more dedication.

As an FPS, "Killing Floor" is not quite up to the standards of Valve's own titles, but the cooperative gameplay that it offers is no less fun. The beauty of the game rests with its drop-in functionality, allowing players to log into a server at any time and partake in the on-going massacre of zombies.

Starcraft II

While not strictly a co-op game, "Starcraft II" offers great cooperative experiences thanks to the official inclusion of co-op "Player vs. AI" modes. Either with people you know or with random strangers, players can team up to do battle against the computer. Thanks to the game's difficulty scaling, players both new to the game or even real-time strategy games in general and veterans can find ways to enjoy it. Be warned, though, the "Brutal" AI in "Starcraft II" is exactly as the name implies.

If you're fed up of playing the vanilla game, "Starcraft II" offers a multitude of custom made maps that support cooperative gameplay, ranging from "Tower Defense" to RPG-lite campaigns. Blizzard has also announced the release of a new DOTA for "Starcraft II", which is supposed to come out at some point in the near future. That map alone will undoubtedly provide hours of cooperative gameplay.